Stereotype-plate holder



L. C. CRO'WBLL.

STBREOTYPB PLATE HOLDER.

Patented Oct. 19

(No Model.)

FFCE@ PATENT LUTHER (f. OROVELL, OF BROOKLYN, NFY YORK.

STEREOTYPE-PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,916, dated October 19, 1886 (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER C. CRowELL, a, citizen of the United States, residing at Brook lyn, county of Kings,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stereotype-Plate Holders, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a means for securing stereotype and other plates onto the formcylinder of a rotary printing-machine, it being the object of the invention to provide a simple and effective means for this purpose by which each plate can be quickly and securely locked onto the cylinder or released, so as to be removed therefrom, by a single operation.

As a full understanding of the invention can be best imparted by a detailed description of the constructionand manner ofusing the same, all preliminary description will be omitted and a detailed description given, reference being had to the accompanyingI drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of an ordinary fornicylinder provided with the present invention. Fig. 2 is aY longitudinal section of the saine. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line ar a' of Figs. land 2. Fig. et is a partial plan view of the cylinder, illustrating a modication,which will behereinafter referred to. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same, taken on the line x .r of Fig. 4; and Fig. G is a crosssection taken on the line x of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and il, it is to be uuderstood that 99 represents the form-cylinder of any ordinary printing-machine, and 98 the ordinarystereotype or other plates, which are curved to conform to the cylinder in the usual manner. The ends of the plates 98 are beveled in the usual manner, and the cylinder is provided at one end with the usual lockinglange, 20, beneath which one of the beveled ends of each plate is inserted as it is placed upon the cylinder. just inside the head, the cylinder is provided with anumber of slots or openings, 19, through which project a number of clips, 21, which are pivoted at their inner ends in bearings 22, secured to the cylinder-head, and are provided at their outer ends withlips or projections 9,

Atits opposite end, andy which fit over the beveled ends of the plates. as shown. The end of the cylinder outside the clips 21 is provided with locking-bands 23, which are arranged to be turned freely around the cylinder, and are guided and heldin position by means of studs 8,which project through slots 7, formed in the bands. These bands are provided upon their outer edges with racks 1S, which-are engaged by small pinions 17, mounted upon short shafts 1G, which turn freely in recesses in the cylinder-head. The outer ends of the shafts 1G or the outer faces of the pin ions 17 are provided with recesses 6, which are adapted to receive a key or wrench, by which the pinions and shafts can be turned so as to turn the bands 23 around the cylinder in either direction. The bands 23 are provided upon their inner edges with a number of cam projections, 15, corresponding to the clips 2l, which, as the bands are turned in one direction, engage with the clips and force and hold them inward, so that thelips 9 project over the beveled edges of the plates and lock them onto the cylinder, as shown. 'A s the bands 23 are turned around the cylinder in the opposite direction, the cams 15 will be disengaged from the clips 2l., so that the latter are left free to move outward to release the plates. The clips 2l will preferably be provided with springs 12, which will cause them to follow the cams and move away from the ends of the plates as soon as they are released. The clips may, however, be caused to follow the cams by any other suitable means instead'of by the springs 12. The bands 23 are also provided upon their inner edges with ratchets 14, only one of which is shown, which are engaged by springpressed pawls 13, pivoted upon the cylinderin such manner as to prevent the bands 23 from turning round the cylinder and loosening the clips by reason of thejarring of the machine. Any other means may, however, be provided in place of the pawls and ratchets 13 14 for this purpose. The bands 23 do not eX- tend entirely around the cylinder, but terminate a sufficient distance from each other, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow each band to be moved independently of the other. The clips 21 are made capable of yielding slightly as they are pressed inward against the ends of the plates by the cams, so that they are caused to main- IOO tain a continuous pressure against'the plates. This is a feature of importance, as it prevents the clips from becoming loosened by any slight indentation of the plates beneath the clips. For this purpose the clips will preferably be made of steel or other elastic material and bifurcated at their ends, as shown, so as to provide the spring portions 5, whichwill yield slightly as the clips are forced against the plates by the cams. The same result may, however, be accomplished by interposing springs of any other description between the earns and the clips.

The clips 21, instead of being pivoted, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, may be arranged in other ways without departing from the essential features of the invention. they may be arranged to slide in grooves or slots formedin the shell of the cylinder. Such an arrangement as this is shown in Figs. 4, 5,

and 6, in which the clips21, instead of being pivoted, are arranged to moveto and from the plates to lock and release them in dovetail slots 19, formed in the shellof the cylinder, they being acted upon by the cams 15 of the bands 23, in the same manner as they are in the construction already described. So, also, the clips may be arranged in any other equivalent manner without departing from the essential features of the invention; but nthe arrangements shown are deemed sufficient to illustrate the principle of the invention.

As illustrated in the drawings, the formcylinder is arranged to be entirely covered l with plates, excepting, of course, the usual spaces left for margins between the printed pages. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is equally applicable in those cases where only a part of the surface of the cylinder is to be covered by the plate or plates. In those cases where the plates eX- tend only half the length of the cylinder the locking-liange 20 will be located at the middle of the cylinder, and each end of the cylinder will be provided with the clips and lockingcams.

The means herein shown for operating the bands 23 have been selected merely for the purpose of illustration. Other means may be employed for this purpose without departing from the essential features of the invention.

The manner of using the locking apparatus just described is as follows: One or both of the bands 23 having been moved to such position as to allow the clips to be moved outward by the springs 12, theplate or plates will be placed upon the cylinder and one of For example,`

their beveled ends inserted beneath the ange 20. A key or wrench will then be inserted in the recess 6 of the pinion 17 ,and the pinion will be operatedso as to turn the band in the proper direction to cause the cams 15 to force and hold t-he clips inward with the lips 9 extending over the beveled edge of l the plate, in which position the band will be held by the pawl 13. As the clips are forced against the end of the plate, the spring portions 5 will yield slightly, and will thereby be causedto maintain a constant pressure of the clips against the end of the plate. One plate hav ing been secured in this manner, the operation will be repeated upon the other side of the cylinder, and the other plate secured in the same manner. To remove the plates from the cylinder the operation will be reversed. The pawls13 will be disengaged from the ratchets 14, and-the pinions 17 turned in the opposite direction, thereby allowing the clips to be moved away from the ends of the plates, so

as to release them and allow them'to be re-` -ing the cam projections 15, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with the form-cylinder, of the clips 21, held against the plate or plates bya yielding pressure, and the band or bands 23, having the cam projections 15, substantially as described. v

3. The combination,with the form-cylinder, ofthe clips 2l, havingthe springs 12, and the band or bands 23, having the cam projections 15, substantially as described.

44. The combination,with the form-cylinder, of the clips 21, held against the plate or plates with a yielding pressure, as by the spring portions 5, and having springs 12, and the band or bands 23, having the cam projections 15, substantially as described.

5. The combinatiomwith the formcylinder, of the clips 21, the band or bands 23, having the cam projections 15 and the rack or racks 18, and the pinion or pinions 17, engaging with the racks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoyset my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUTHER C. CROVVELL.

Witnesses:

J. A. HovAY, J As. J. KENNEDY.

ICO 

